Car-door mechanism



April 28, 1925. 1,535,831

C. M. HANNAFORD CAR DOOR MECHANI SM FiLed May 2. 1924 Patented Apr. 28, 1925.

UNl'f'E STATS GLEON M. HANNAFORD, OF RICHBIOND. VIRGINIA. .eiSSIG-NOR TO WINE RAILVTAY APPLIANCE COLIPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A GORPORATIQN OF OHIO.

GAR-DOOR MECHANISM.

Application filed May 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1;. CLEON M. I'IANNA- Fono, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful.Improvements in Car-Door Mechanism; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same' The invention relates to car door mechanism, andmore particularly to door securing mechanism for hopper cars, and has for its principal object to provide a novel form'of hopper car door securing and locking device.

1 Another object of my invention is to provide a hopper door with a movable supporting member adapted to cooperate with a bracket or member carried by the hopper side sheet-to support the door in a plurality ofpositions.

A still further object is to provide a door supporting member comprising a bracket adapted to be connected to the door adjacent a free edge thereof; said bracket having mounted therein and detachable therewith a door supporting hook and locking means therefor. i

A. still further object of the invention is to provide a hopper with a door supporting hook pivotally connected thereto adjacent a free edge thereof, and a bracket member connected to the hopper side sheet, said hook and bracket having portions formed as approach planes to'lead the hook into supporting engagement with said bracket.

To these and other ends the invention comprises the various elements and combinations of elements hereinafter set forth, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational View of a hopper side sheet and a swingingly mounted door showing the invention applied thereto,

1924;. 'Serial No. 710,59

Figure 2 is'a front elevational view of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 8 is a sectional view of the construction shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken immediately behind the bracket and at right angles thereto.

Figure a is a frz'tgmentary detail view partially in cross section of the bracket member.

'lhroughout the specification and drawings like parts are designated by like ref erence characters.

While I have illustrated a single hopper and the adjacent edge of the coacting door, it will be understood that the construction is preferably duplicated on the opposite side of the car and that the door illustrated is but one of a pair of doors connected by a spreader or stiffening member so as to in unison.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 1 designates the sloping side sheet of a hopper, and a swingingly mounted door adapted when in locked position to close the opening of said hopper. The door 2 may be and preferably is provided with a down turned marginal flange 3 and has secured thereto, preferably by rivets 4, a; spreader or stiffening bar 5 which may be of any commercial rolled section and is here illustrated as an angle bar having a flange 6 lying parallel with the outer face of the door and the other flange extending substantially at right angles to said face. Adjacent one end the spreader 5 is provided with an oifset portion 8 and an outwardly extending portion 9, the offset being formed in the bar to provide clearance for the passage of the bar beneath the marginal flange 8. The outwardly extending portion 9 is preferably arranged parallel with the door face and extends outwardly beyond the marginal flange 3 so as to form a seat for the bracket 10 hereinafter described. Said bracket preferably comprises a base having flanges 11 and 12 which overlie and are respectively secured to the flanges 6 and 7 of the stiffener or spreader bar 5 in any suitable manner, preferably by means of a plurality of rivets.

Extending upwardly from the flange 12 IS a wall 13, and extending rearwardly therefrom and spaced apart are a pair of upright flanges 14, 14. Adjacent the lower edges of these flanges there is provided in each a re cess 15 having curved bearing portions 16 in which are received the trunnions 17 of the hook 18 hereinafter described. Pivotally mounted between th flanges 1 1 in any suitable manner and in rear of the shank of the hook 18, is an eccentric dog or cam 19 adapted to engage the shank of the said hook 1S and hold the same against pivotal movement with respect to said bracket 10.

Connected to the hopper side sheet, preferably by a plurality of rivets 20, is a bracket or member 21. having a. plurality or hook engaging faces or seats 22 and 23, and below the hook engaging seat 22 the bracket 21 is provided with a curved approach plane 241 leading to the seat 22. At the opposite end of the hook from the trunnions 17 there 'is provided a bill 25 having on the under face a flat seat engaging portion 26. The. end portion of said bill is provided with a rounded face or approach plane 27 adapted to coact with the approach plane 2 1.

It will be readily apparent from the foregoing description that the bill 25 of the hook 18 is adapted to engage with either of the seats 22 or 23 of the bracket 21 and thus support the door in either partially or fully closed position, and that in either of these positions the locking dog or cam 19 may be driven home behind the hook and hold the shank of the same between the wall 13 and the adjacent portion of the dog 19 to prevent pivotal movement of the hook on the bracket 10 and hence the release of the hook from engagement with the bracket 21.

It will also be observed that I have provided an exceedingly simple, strong, reliable and eiiicient bracket in which the hook and dog may be assembled at the factory and which may be shipped as a unit without danger of the parts being misplaced or wrongly assembled, and which is capable of being applied as a unit to a car body; and I have also provided an exceedingly simple and reliable bracket for cooperation with the hook, said bracket having a plurality of seats so that the said hook when in place may support the door in a plurality of positions.

I claim:

1. The combination with a hopper, of a. swinging door adapted to close the opening thereof, a member connected to the outer face of said door, a hook pivotally connected to said member adjacent a free edge of said door, and a bracket connected to a side sheet of said hopper for cooperation with said hook, said bracket having a plurality of hook engaging seats whereby said hook may support said door in a plurality of positions.

In combination with a hopper, of a swinging door adapted to close the opening thereof, a flanged spreader connected to the outer face of said door, a portion of said spreader extending beyond a free edge of said door, a flanged bracket overlying and secured to the projecting portion of said spreader, a hook pivot-ally connected to said bracket, said hook being adapted to overlie the side sheet of. said hopper, and a member connected to said hopper side sheet for cooperation with said hook, said member having a plurality of hook engaging seats whereby said hook may support said door in a plurality of positions.

3. The combination with a hopper, of a swinging door adapted to close the opening thereof, a spreader connected to the outer face of said door, a portion of said spreader projecting beyond a free edge of said door, a bracket rigidly connected to said projecting portion of said spreader, bearings formed in said bracket, a hook pivotally mounted in said bearings, and means connected to a side sheet of said hopper for cooperation with said hook, said means having spaced hook engaging seats and being adapted to maintain said door against swinging movement in one direction.

4:. The combination with a hopper, of a swinging door adapted to close the opening thereof, a flanged spreader connected to the outer face of said door, said spreader having a portion projecting beyond the free edge of said door, a flange bracket overlying and rigidly secured to said projecting portion of said spreader, said bracket having a hook receiving slot therein, bearings formed on said bracket on opposite sides of said slot, a hook having trunnions thereon pivotally connected to said bracket within said slot, and means engageable with said hook for maintaining said door against swinging movement in one direction.

5. The combination with a hopper, of a swinging door adapted to close the opening thereof, a flanged spreader connected to the outer face of said door, said spreader having a portion projecting beyond the free edge of said door, a flange bracket overlying and rigidly secured to said projecting portion of said spreader, said bracket having a hook receiving slot therein, bearings formed on said bracket on opposite sides of said slot, a hook having trunnions thereon piv otally connected to said bracket within said slot, hook locking means engageable with said hook also carried by said bracket, and means engageable with said hook for main taining said door against swinging movement in one direction, said hook locking adjacent the bill thereof, and a member 10 connected to said side sheet for cooperation With said hook, said member having an approach plane adapted to cooperate With the corresponding plane of said hook, and a plurality of spaced hook engaging seats 15 above said approach plane.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CLEON M. HANNAFORD. 

